Black Fleet Crisis

Book #1 of Horizon War
Published by Severn River Publishing
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

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About The Book

A pulse-pounding military thriller for fans of Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney, and Jack Carr. Authentic operators. Global stakes. Tomorrow's war, today.

One coordinated attack on America’s black fleet.
Two estranged operators.
A race to prevent a global war.

The USNS Seay burns in Rota, Spain—the victim of a terrorist strike that guts a cornerstone of U.S. military logistics and cripples America’s ability to reinforce Europe.

Worse: in the chaos, a next-generation cyber warfare drone disappears.

Former Marine and special activities operator Shaw Carradine walked away from military service and meant it. But when the stolen drone puts his cousin’s defense firm in the crosshairs of the U.S. government, standing aside isn’t an option.

Shaw’s only viable partner is the last man he trusts: CIA case officer Marcus “Bantam” Roberts, the teammate he hasn’t spoken to since a black-ops mission collapsed in blood and silence.

As they hunt for the drone, the dominoes begin to fall. Coordinated strikes tear through American military infrastructure across Europe. The truth becomes clear—the Seay was no isolated hit. It was the opening move.

Behind the attacks is a network of Russian ultranationalists wielding precision sabotage, bleeding-edge technology, and a weapon designed not to win battles—but to paralyze nations.

As the West scrambles and old enemies take aim at one another, Shaw and Bantam race to stop the next strike—knowing failure won’t end in mere retaliation.

It will end in all out war.

About The Author

Conor Bender is a bestselling novelist and an award-winning writer of historical fiction. He is a past winner of the Hemingway 20th Century Wartime Historical Fiction Award and a finalist for the Goethe Award for Post-1750 Historical Fiction.

Before his writing career, Conor served as a Marine Corps officer, specializing as a logistician and foreign military advisor. He attained the rank of captain and deployed to Senegal in support of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, as well as to Sicily and Norway. Conor currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Severn River Publishing (November 17, 2026)
  • Length: 284 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781648759178

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"A bold and original talent, Conor Bender is a storyteller who delivers!"

—Andrews & Wilson, NYTimes Bestselling Authors of Insurgent

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